This review may contain spoilers
Excellent thriller but needed more time travel
This show certainly keeps you on your toes. It's fast paced, unpredictable, and exciting. Very bingeable. Some of the 10 "resetters," who start getting killed off after they travel back in time one year to fix their lives, are just cannon fodder, but the majority of characters still manage to make an impression even when the busy plot doesn't leave a ton of time for character development. Deceptively crazy Se Rin was my favorite, loved her. The actual time travel element of the plot was underwhelming though. 90% of this just feels like a regular murder mystery, the time travel shaped the plot less than I expected and we spend too little time learning about how time travel works in this universe.Was this review helpful to you?
and can we talk about the chemistry??? because EXCUSE ME I AM SO SATISFIED!!! this must be one of the best friends-but-we-actually-like-each-other trope that i've ever encountered that really gave them the perfect ending that they deserve. i was really wishing for even just a bit more skinship, even just a hug and they gave it during THOSE SCENE. i was like EXCUSE ME??????😭😭
i'll admit that i was devastated with the first half of the ending because i was like NOOOOO it can't be!!! and then they did THAT. i thought i would be really disappointed and frustrated but they redeemed it with that last scene. i love how unique, bitter, sweet and right the ending was.
of course there were some loopholes, but they didn't really bother me that much. it didn't take away the beauty of this drama. so if you're hesitating to watch, then don't think anymore and just watch it!
on my way to watch more Lee Joon Hyuk drama<3
1000000/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Don't Trust Anyone
What. A. Show.If you want to watch this show or are thinking of getting into it, give it 2-3 episodes. You don't get easily hooked in the first one, so you need a tad more to really get intrigued by the storyline.
I loved the twists and turns, and like all the other reviews say - DON'T TRUST ANYONE. I loved being baffled, having my jaw drop at some revelations and thoroughly enjoyed the story's pacing. There's obviously holes to it and confusions, which is why I can't give it a 10, but I enjoyed the acting so still want to give props to how everything was executed - and for fellow peeps to get a chance to watch.
There's nothing more I could truly say without spoiling, so just sit back, relax and get ready for a ride ;)
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Too Fuss For Nothing!
This one has everything i love in a Drama.- Time Travel
- Crime
- Serial Killer
- Mystery
...Everything.In Theory!
Because when reality strikes you, it does really hard.
Reading the synopsis and see such a high rate i got "high" myself and couldn't wait to start it.
The first episodes were good until they weren't.The story seemed interesting and i was curious how will go on.Many characters introduced and i wanted to find out what threads tie them all,what troubled lives they lived and which fate brought them together.
And i was waiting..and waiting and everything went in circles without any serious reason or without any plausible explanation. It wasn't because of the Time Loops and Resets,though.Because iam so familiar with all these and if the script is good i have endless patience. But here i started to get bored.Like really bored.And i thought wtf,this suppose to be my cup of tea.This is the kind of Drama i never get bored watching.So what happened here?Have i watched too many i lost my interest?Or maybe this is not so good written and all the characters are not so attractive?Obviously the latter.Based ofc on my personal taste and criteria.
What Twists and Turns???Not for me.I was driving in a very straight and long road and i was hoping for a pit-stop ahead but...
Suspense was forced and fake.The cliffhanger at the end of many episodes was just too unbeliavable,unrealistic and ridiculous.Giving us multiple suspects/villains just to create suspense when obviously noone would believe that "A" was the killer,to me is just poor writing.Especially when in the very next ep, plot points towards "B" just for the next ep to point suspect "C". This is not how a good story unfolds.It doesn't give chills.Just laughter.Iam sorry,this is how i felt.
I really had many expectations and none fulfilled, thats why i sound too disappointed.
In my opinion the Time Travel element most of the time was unnecessary as it really not added much to the story.It was more like garnish or side dish.This show would be more interesting if the writers focused on create an evil character,a serial killer with depth,with dark past and history ,and involve the rest characters in a cat-mouse game.I wouldn't mind some clichés,it would be better than the course this story had.The idea of Reset was promising but at the end it didn't deliver.
The writers had some scattered thoughts inside their heads.Many of them were really good and inspired.Though they failed to turn them into an intriguing story.So they gathered all those thoughts in a messy canvas and they didn't even try to put them in some reasonable order.Remained scattered and confusing.To put this simple,they took pieces from different puzzle boxes and they tried to form a picture.Is this even possible?No, with Logic Laws this is impossible!
The targeted victims of the Serial killer,normally shouldn't had anything to do with the group participated in Reset.Why should they after all? Killer clearly had no idea about the group and the Resets.He finds out only at the end.And why on earth all connected in this web which simply doesn't make any sense?Killer's urge to kill should be irrelevant.But no,writers once again realized the big flaw here and decided to give a totally lame explanation one episode before the end.As if this could save all the f*** up mess of previous episodes. The "reason" of killings is entirely opposite of the idea of a "Serial Killer" as they ended to peddle them as a necessity to justify the connections.So the killer wasn't actually a psycopath but had to kill a dozen of people just because he learnt about Reset.A bunch of crap,if you ask me!Are you confused enough? Did i mention a poor writing??Yes,i did.That is why i talked about scattered thoughts.Writers were unable to sufficiently tie them all.Squeeze all and force to make sense it doesn't help.They made me question every line,every chatacter,every scene.Even my own sanity!Simple because everything was indeed questionable!There are other Dramas when this happens is the mind-blowing factor to say they are masterpieces.Here..not even close!
I don't know if iam the weirdo here or iam too demanding.No cohesion,no flow,just mess and frustration.
I wanted dark characters with twisted minds.With hidden secrets ready to kill and die.I wanted so much more than this.
Some mysterious music ,some shady chars barely scratching the surface of the psychopath character i wanted to see as the main Villain and some "suspicious smirks" weren't enough to excite me,to give me the wow factor and keep me at the edge of my seat.
I don't mind dropping bad Dramas but i usually don't do it , just because iam way too stubborn.
And this is the only reason i finished this.Because honestly i wanted to drop it several times.I had a small hope and was waiting for the big twist,which never came.
Nothing really was in a high level to give it some points.From music to acting and from production to direction,everything was average to good.Ok few credits to Ml's acting.He saved this part and thats why i gave 8.Otherwise the rest cast didn't do a great job.
The only detail i really loved was the showcases the killer kept his trophies.Very elegant and sophisticated choice!
As for the ending..It made me laugh hard.I guess that wasn't the purpose of the Drama,though....What i took from all this was that one man was bored with his life and just wanted to have some fun.That was the reason writers gave us.
Maybe iam too strict with this but in every review i write i try to be as objective as i can and ofc iam always honest about it.
I do not discourage you and i do not prevent you from watching it as my opinion is the least popular,obviously.But if after you watch it you have similar ideas,give me few heads-up,to make me feel less lonely!
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"He did prove....thats there's no perfect crime."
What an amazing show!There is nothing much to complain about 365 Repeat the year.
To start with, this show is nothing for weak nerves. It doesn't flinch to show brutality if needed. The characters provoke the viewer permanently lie and irritate us till we don't know who is even trustable.
This show has so many twists and turns till every last moment, you are not allowed to blink and miss a single movement. Always keep telling the viewer to suspect everyone even so how obvious the situation might be. The goods turn bad and the bad turn good and turn bad again and then not. It's a back-and-forth of feeling.
Also, the only supernatural in this drama is the Time repeat of a year.
There are no super smart, strong or plot amour leads. The character feels realistic, approachable and relatable. The Cast is amazing they're playing the roles out of their mind not only the amazing lead but also the supports are phenomenal. The chemistry between the two main Leads is amazing as if their eyes have their own role. In my interpretation, there is defiantly romance between them. They're going through hell and the fear they had is 100% transferred to the viewer, goosebumps guaranteed.
The Story is simply top-notch. The built-up is obvious with the time repeat and the writer just skips the mid-part instead there are many mini finals in every episode till we get the big bang. To be honest I would like to see the culprits reveal at the big end but I wasn't so the reveal of the Murder felt a bit flat because we don't have enough time. Remember is only a 12 Episodes Drama.
Last but not least, personally this might be the best time travel Drama ever made. The writing is flawless the execution spotless. Perfect cast with amazing names who also deliver.
Overall if you are a fan of Mystery, Thriller this one is a perfect drama. Turn off your phone make the room dark and you will have an amazing time only a few dramas can deliver.
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Good thriller with an interesting fantasy twist. Refreshing yet somewhat predictable.
A quite good thriller with an intriguing concept. The first half of the series was a bit slow and not that exciting despite the interesting thematic. The story required indeed at first introducing quite a bunch of characters as well as putting in place a lot of setup payoff. As a viewer, the second part of the show felt much more enticing as it was able to reap successfully all the elements built up in its first part.Overall, the show became more and more addictive with each episode passing. However, it is to be noted that even though the excitement was picking up, unfortunately, the reveals were less surprising as most of them were predictable. What the series gained in terms of thrills, it also lost it as well in terms of freshness and unexpectedness.
Regarding the actors' performances, most of them were good (with a specific mention to Lee Joon Hyuk who really impressed me in his role). In my opinion, the only flaw in the casting was Kim Jee Soo: the actress did not exude enough charisma and I had real trouble believing in her acting...and therefore to be invested in her narrative arc.
One of the very strong points of the show was its grey characters. Nobody is really black or white and it is a pleasure to discover them layer by layer. It was also great to follow the two main leads forming a brilliant (and consistent!) duo. They were smart and making all over the episodes logical decisions. I was particularly happy to see a competent cop for once, quite an unusual sight in K-drama world.
Directing-wise, I loved some of the choices done around the concept of time and to exacerbate the mystery. I also found that the OST as well as the background sound were matching really nicely the drama.
I would recommend this to people looking for an original thriller with a fantasy twist and a nice ensemble cast. If you like novels from Agatha Christie, you could really enjoy this as well.
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Logic? What logic?
You know i actually thought it would be more about the time travel and how they live their year instead of it just being an one episode premise for a serial killer case of batshit crazy whodunnit with leads last people standing horror movie kinda vibe. It was actually a wild enjoyable rollercoaster until the last few episodes where it took an inane turn and turn and turn and never stopped spinning in its absurd plot twists for the plot twists sake anymore that the rollercoaster derailed and crashed in flames down a cliff. While i could not roll my eyes fast enough to spin along with all the waaaaaay too makjang-y events on screen happening. Characters acted all idiotic (save for the leads) believing everything they were told, and against their own interest with zero self preservation skills whatsoever as they walked alone outside at night with a serial killer at large. Because this is what you do when you know you are dead-flagged of course :) Logic has left the chat. In fact it was never really present in the storytelling to begin with.Like, there is a limit how ridiculous you can get with a story and its twists, even when the genre is fantasy/Sci fi. Or at least there should have been, since it would have been more believable and better constructed and not something from drawn from a cheap kbs daily drama plot-wise employing shocking twists for shock value only to construct a "tune in next" cliffhanger, logically held together by little more than spit and ductape. Sadly it had a sore lack of a white truck of doom trope for several of these a-holes within here that should have met the fate to make it actually entertaining. The leads were cute tho and actually smart, for once. Which sadly is a rarity in the thriller kdrama genre. I liked it till halfway through since i could not figure out why and where and who but then it started to get veeeeery nonsensical and goofy. Could not take it seriously, which is actually not a good hallmark for a thriller that tried to be all that it its tone. Resounding meeeeh. Even the mutt was stupid/useless and a brat (causing an accident as it constantly ran away.
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Thriller, mystery and crime. With no lovers scene. Proceed only if you love this genres. One episode to another episodes, you always want more and more. You just cannot stop watching to see what will happen next until next.
This show is so underrated.
It’s fast paced. Thrilling and it will keep you guessing up until the end. It’s well-written. Well-directed. And the actors did a very good job with their roles. It will excite you always for the next episode. A perfect mix of the “whodunnit” genre and Final Destination and time-travel. AND, no romance so none of that dragging, slow-paced cringe moments.
Every twist will keep your mouth open with bewilderment.
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This review may contain spoilers
THE PLOT TWIST IS SO GOOD!!!
So I've just finished this and it's soo good!!!! I could've never predicted the plot twist honestly because I keep suspecting everyone to be the main villain except that person lmao and when I thought another person is the villain, it turned out nope 😭 and this is one of the few thriller dramas that I didn't really ship the two main leads romantically. I loved their platonic relationship and the way they trusted and protected eo all the time 🥹 NGL I WASN'T EXPECTING TO CRY AT THE END WHEN THEY MEET AGAIN BECAUSE AFTER ALL THE TROUBLES THEY'VE BEEN TOGETHER 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 IT WAS SO SAD AND ALSO TOUCHING HOW THE ML DECIDED TO DO THE RESET AGAIN BECAUSE HIS FRIEND DIED AGAIN 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 but I wonder who was the person who gone to do the reset at the end 😲😲 overall, the story is pretty good but also can be frustrating because it's so full of mystery and suspense and honestly, sometimes I didn't have patience because all the mysteries are killing me and Lee Shin just gatekeeping everything lmao BUT ANYWAY, THIS IS SO RECOMMENDED!!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
365: Repeat The Year — The Time Loop That Could Have Been Timeless
Some dramas are like finely tuned clocks, where every narrative cog clicks into place with satisfying precision. Others are more like IKEA furniture built without instructions—there’s potential, there’s effort, but somewhere around hour six you’re screaming into the void, holding a drawer handle that doesn’t fit.365: Repeat The Year is both.
This time travel thriller, based on a Japanese novel, opens with a premise that’s crackling with intrigue: ten individuals are offered the chance to reset their lives by one year. They accept. But soon after, they begin to die—one by one.
At first, it feels like we’re stepping into a tightly-wound mystery where cause and effect are more important than whodunnit. And honestly? I was hooked. But somewhere in the middle, the drama itself hits reset… into chaos. Let’s break this down.
365: Repeat The Year starts with a premise sharp enough to cut through my “I’ve seen this before” skepticism. Ten people are given the chance to reset their lives by going back exactly one year, memories intact. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. With each reset comes a ripple—a butterfly effect that begins to unravel reality itself. And in the middle of this chaos, two unlikely partners emerge: Shin Ga-hyun, a brooding webtoon artist played by Nam Ji-hyun, and Ji Hyung-joo, an easy-going detective portrayed by Lee Jun-hyuk.
As someone who thrives on a well-crafted time travel narrative, I was instantly drawn in. At least, for the first 10 episodes or so.
Watching Nam Ji-hyun evolve from the literal sunshine of Shopping King Louis to the tenacious and emotionally scarred Ga-hyun was a revelation. Her micro-expressions hit like emotional nukes, and her ability to embody such a starkly different role proves she’s a powerhouse in any genre.
Nam Ji-hyun plays Shin Ga-hyun, a disabled webtoon artist whose life has been defined by trauma, solitude, and an eerie perceptiveness that borders on psychic. If you’re coming straight from Shopping King Louis, you’re in for a shock. Gone is the chirpy mountain girl energy—in its place is a brooding, hyper-aware woman whose emotional range is stunningly restrained but razor-sharp.
Watching her in this role is like watching a volcano pretend to be a mountain. She simmers constantly, and when she finally erupts, it’s devastating. Her quiet moments hit harder than most screaming matches in other dramas.
Then there’s Lee Jun-hyuk, who plays detective Ji Hyung-joo—initially a carefree cop with an uncanny sense of justice. He enters the reset with a personal mission, but slowly and painfully morphs into a man haunted by reality bending out of shape around him. If Ga-hyun is the cold logic of this drama, Hyung-joo is its unraveling heart.
And when I say unravel, I mean it.
By the time episode 20 hits, his psyche is fraying at the edges in a way that’s almost poetic. Lee Jun-hyuk plays it with such nuance that I found myself more invested in watching him fall apart than solving the murder mystery at hand. The pain of remembering a timeline no one else does is rendered with subtle, aching precision.
Together, Ji-hyun and Jun-hyuk share a chemistry that feels organic and unforced. It’s refreshing to see a male-female partnership where romantic tension simmers just beneath the surface without ever boiling over unnecessarily. I would happily watch them lead a buddy-cop romcom spinoff—preferably one where no one resets time and ruins everything.
At first, 365 feels like it understands the delicate art of time travel storytelling. It sets up its rules carefully, like a watchmaker assembling intricate gears, and it teases out consequences in a way that makes you lean in closer. The butterfly effect here isn’t just a gimmick; it feels ominous, inevitable—like a ripple turning into a tsunami.
But then… somewhere around the halfway mark, the butterfly doesn’t just flap its wings. It gets run over by a dump truck.
Instead of exploring the consequences of tiny changes with nuance, the drama starts lobbing random chaos into the timeline like a toddler throwing blocks. Cause-and-effect stops being thoughtful and starts feeling like a plot lottery: “What if this happens? No? Okay, how about this? Still not exciting enough? Quick—somebody reset the writer’s brain!”
It’s like watching a chef start a meal with the precision of a Michelin star contender, only to panic halfway and dump ketchup and marshmallows into the stew because they think it’ll keep you on your toes. The resulting “flavor” is more confusing than thrilling.
At its best, 365 hints at the terrifying weight of choices and how even well-meaning actions can spiral into tragedy. But during the middle stretch, it loses faith in that subtle power and trades it for shock tactics. Instead of logical ripples, we get narrative tsunamis with no clear cause—and by then, even the characters seem exhausted trying to keep up with their own reality.
What makes it so frustrating is that you can see the potential. The bones of an elegant, mind-bending thriller are there. But they’re buried under layers of narrative overreach, last-minute twists, and a desperation to keep viewers guessing. Instead of letting its butterfly effect bloom naturally, 365 smashes its wings flat, tapes them to a firecracker, and lights the fuse.
The middle arc of 365 isn’t just bad—it’s an active crime scene. It’s as if the writers had their own personal reset button and used it liberally, hoping we wouldn’t notice their narrative whiplash as they scrambled to “keep things fresh.” Spoiler: we noticed.
What started as a lean, intelligent time-travel thriller suddenly swerved into a Madlib horror story, where logic was sacrificed on the altar of cheap tension. The once-tight writing began tossing out developments that felt less like plot twists and more like random words pulled from a hat:
“Okay guys… this week let’s make Professor Lee Shin secretly evil! And next week… how about she’s redeemable again? No continuity? Eh, the audience won’t care.”
But I do care.
It’s not that I demand realism from a show about time resets—but I do demand narrative integrity. If a drama establishes its own rules, the bare minimum is to follow them. Instead, 365 seemed to repeatedly break the very systems it had spent episodes painstakingly constructing.
By episode 12, my suspension of disbelief was on life support.
And then there’s Professor Lee Shin. Initially, she was written as this enigmatic figure—a possible mastermind operating in the shadows, someone whose true intentions kept me guessing. But in a wild pivot worthy of Saturday morning cartoons, she suddenly became a scenery-chewing villainess. She started spouting monologues that felt ripped straight out of the Batman rogues gallery, and just as abruptly, the writers tried to redeem her in the finale.
You can’t just yo-yo a character’s morality like this and expect me to still be emotionally invested. By the time her redemption arc rolled around, I felt nothing but irritation.
In any story—especially one as intricate as time travel—narrative integrity isn’t just important. It’s oxygen. Narrative integrity means this: once a writer sets up the rules of their universe, they honor those rules consistently, no matter how wild or fantastical the premise is. It’s the invisible contract between storyteller and audience. I, the viewer, agree to suspend my disbelief—to believe in your unicorns, time resets, or alien body swaps—as long as you play fair with the logic of your world.
Here’s the thing: you can absolutely tell me the female lead rides a magical unicorn to work every morning. I’ll nod, smile, and follow along. But you have to show me how she got it. Maybe she rescued it from a shady back-alley stable. Maybe she conjured it during a blood moon ritual. Fine, I’m with you.
But don’t wait until episode 15 to suddenly reveal that this sweet, mystical unicorn can fire tank shells from its mouth and single-handedly win a war. That isn’t a plot twist. That’s narrative betrayal. And that’s the flavor of whiplash 365 serves up during its wobbly middle arc.
The writers set up their own house rules for time travel early on—clear, promising, and grounded enough to keep me hooked. But midway through, it’s as if they tossed those carefully laid rules into a shredder. Cause and effect? Shattered. Character logic? Gone. Basic realism in the way police or hospitals operate? Tossed out like expired milk.
The result is maddening. For a story built on temporal cause-and-effect, watching the writers reset their own narrative consistency feels like trying to solve a puzzle where half the pieces are swapped for random Lego bricks.
This isn’t about nitpicking realism in a sci-fi premise—it’s about respecting the world you created as a storyteller. If you don’t, why should I invest? By the midpoint of 365, I found myself less immersed in the mystery and more distracted by glaring inconsistencies, my brain spinning in the background like a Windows error screen.
A great time travel drama feels like a Möbius strip—smooth, seamless, and endlessly fascinating when you trace its loops. 365, at its worst, feels more like a frayed rope you’re clinging to as the strands snap one by one.
365: Repeat The Year is frustrating because it’s so blatantly obvious how brilliant this could have been. The strong start and emotionally charged final act are sandwiched between a messy middle that nearly sinks the entire ship. It’s the narrative equivalent of eating a gourmet meal, suffering food poisoning halfway, and then ending with a surprisingly good dessert—but still wondering if it was worth it.
365: Repeat The Year is like a beautifully plated dessert with a soggy middle. The concept is rich, the performances stellar, and the ending packs an emotional punch most dramas dream of. But to get there, you’ll need to survive a dozen episodes of narrative confusion, character betrayal, and logic gaps wide enough to fall into.
I don’t regret watching it. But I do wish I could reset and skip the parts that made me question whether anyone in this universe has ever heard of backup, gloves, or common sense.
Still, that last time loop? That one was worth it.
If you’re patient enough to survive the mind-rotting middle, there’s a lot to enjoy here. But don’t expect narrative consistency or logical character development. Bring your suspension of disbelief and maybe some coffee-flavored Kopiko candies (because you’re going to need them).
Find the full review of this drama and other titles on byrei.ink
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Adrenaline Rush = Great Acting
I did not see the Japanese Version (Repeat), so I cannot comment on the similarities between the two. I did notice the show is not 100% original as it takes bits and pieces from past K-J-T-C Dramas. What it does, though, is sprinkled a distinctive taste that leaves us satisfied. I was pleasantly surprised by the screenwriting and acting. It might be a little predictable or maybe no WOW Factor when watching, but if it kept me intrigued, it might do the same for you.Actor Lee Joon Hyuk who played Detective Ji Hyung Joo was, believable, but sometimes deductive reasoning was set aside for the plotline. As a whole, anyone watching would quickly become invested in his character and story. The collaboration of screenwriters Lee Seo Yoon and Lee Soo Kyung constructed a script full of mystery, suspense, and time travel phenomenon that was out of the blue. I knew I was getting a drama worth watching when I spotted Lee Seo Yoon's name attached to 365: Repeat the Year. He co-wrote Swallow the Sun (2009), which I appreciated.
Nam Ji Hyun had a refreshing role different from her previous projects, expanding her talents into other genres. Her character Shin Ga Hyun is not your typical FL. She is a competent-smart who thinks before she does something; given her background as a webtoon artist and novelist, she is detailed-oriented. I was taken back by her acting skills. Yes, there were some scenes she let me down, but in my opinion, NJH acting was solid, especially towards the middle and backend.
If anything, Lee Sung Wook's character convincingly surprised me. The Bromance between Lee Joon Hyuk and Lee Sung Wook's character down-to-earth genuine.
I have to shout out to the supporting actors' performances because, without an excellent supporting cast, this show would be less than stellar. It is either a hit or miss for me with this Director, but she delivered silver. The soundtrack was decent, but you would rarely see me critique OSTs as I like all OSTs that mesmerize me while viewing. On some occasions, I will feel a piece of music does not fit, but not in this drama, even if we did not hear a lot of the music. The last point, I thought the production sets were above par in my eyes, but no wow factor. I cannot blame the director for that as we did not need off the chart cinematography.
In the end, if you like a little mystery, great chemistry between the ML, FL, and supporting actors watch it. Just do not expect a WOW Factor. I say it a lot, but do not have high expectations, and be rewarded possibly. If you had the opportunity, would you go back, but at what cost?
Final Rating: 8.56/10
Rewatch value is 6.5, as some dramas take longer to recoup their others to rewatch for me.
Remember, when watching these types of dramas, put your imagination on high gear. Everything is not supposed to make sense, but that is just my take.
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